Abstract
Summary
Superior wrist sensorimotor control of the bow hand among professional upper string musicians
Ulrik Röijezon1, Anncristin Fjellman-Wiklund2, Ingela Lundholm Tengvall1, Ragnar Faleij1, Dag Rissen3
1. Departement of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
2. Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Sweden
3. Centre for Research & Development, Uppsala University/Region Gävleborg, Sweden
Background
Well-adapted sensorimotor control of the hand is essential in musical performance. Playing upper string instruments imposes different movement demands on the left (finger) and right (bow) hand, potentially leading to hand-specific sensorimotor adaptations. This may have implications for both performance, and prevention and rehabilitation of upper limb disorders.
Aim
To evaluate wrist sensorimotor control in professional upper string musicians compared to non-musicians.
Methods
Nineteen professional upper string musicians (mean age 48) and 27 physiotherapists (mean age 38) performed a visually guided tracking acuity task. Using a handheld laser pointer, participants traced a calibrated zig-zag pattern as accurately as possible with each hand. Trials were video recorded and analyzed using custom image processing. The primary outcome was acuity—the percentage of time the laser remained on the target line. ANCOVAs were conducted with profession as fixed factor and age as covariate. Dependent variables were acuity (%) and mean velocity (mm/s) for each hand.
Results
Musicians showed significantly higher acuity and slower velocity with the bow (right) hand, but no significant differences for the finger (left) hand.
Conclusion
Upper string musicians demonstrated superior wrist tracking acuity with the bow hand, likely reflecting long-term, task-specific sensorimotor adaptation. The reduced velocity suggests a precision-enhancing strategy, consistent with the speed-accuracy trade-off. The absence of group differences in the left hand highlights training specificity. These findings are relevant for assessment and rehabilitation of upper extremity function in musicians. Future research should explore if the left hand shows superiority in tasks involving fine finger control.